It was the first time in 8 annual retreats that there was such a big group of Israelis.
We were ten.
And since the total number of participants was the smallest in 8 years,
every fifth participant was an Israeli.
Is this a sign, that denial of "The Holocaust" gives way to taking responsibility?

On Nov. 24, 16 days after we had parted in AUschwitz-BirkenAU, we met at Yanina's.
Ohad had to give a lesson and couldn't come,
but Hagit, the Israeli coordinator of the retreat, made the "Minyan" full.
A Wo/Man may pray alone,
but much more blessing will come from praying together.
And this togetherness has to be composed of at least 10 people, a minyan.

It's the same in Islam. Recently I discovered a sign on the outside of a Muslim cemetery in the Israeli Arab village of Tira [The prophet Muhammad] said: "The prayer of the community is better than the prayer of the individual by 27 degrees."

Read to the end to understand what I am hinting at...

And now see how these faces are shining,
once even a tiny flow of feelings has occurred:
If a mili-liter of pain has been cried
a liter of love and joy pours into interacting.

Yanina and Lea were both little girls,
when they were snatched from the ghettos
and hidden in so many places
and brought up in deepest devotion to the Catholic faith.

Much could be told about and learnt from this wondrous meeting,
but it has come to an end - my time for sculpting Grief and Grace,
as I experienced and understood it in AUschwitz-BirkenAU.
Noah's Shore is calling.

I'll close with taking up the proposal of Adina:
In an e-mail to all participants she promised boldly:

"Christa Rachel will be holding gatherings at her Dead Sea site
for people to participate in collective "sounding" for personal and World healing.
All are invited to participate from where ever they are on the planet.
More details to come."

As to how I myself stopped keeping the Sound-Appointments,
see now, on February 24, 2011, in Sound-Shofar

Adina and Evelyn

The "details" as they have come to me so far:

I'll not "hold" gatherings,
but I'm suggesting and applying to structure the day by sound.

Structure of time is of immense importance.
Jews pray three times a day,
Muslims pray five times a day,
And Christian monks and nuns, how often do they pray?
The Internet Dictionary "Babylon" says:

In Hebrew I'll call these times "mo'adim",
"mo'ed" in Hebrew means both:
"appointed time" and "appointment" or "encounter".
The mobile Sanctuary during the Hebrew Desert wanderings was
"Ohel Mo'ed"
"The Tent of Appointment".

An appointment for sounding may become
an encounter with myself and with you at an appointed time.
These appointments may interrupt the habitual, routine,
often mindless, emotionless rushing through the days.
The attachment to what I think I "should do" would loosen up,
and the work and life, I've chosen, will then be more fulfilling.

Ruth and Adina

So far I've been sounding many times a day spontaneously,
when my soul was troubled, or my mind garbled, or my Body stuck.
Following Adina's idea,
my life and work at Noah's Shore,
which will begin tomorrow, on the 29th of November,
which commemorates the UNO declaration in 1947,
that Jews have the right to their own state,
will be structured by "Sound Appointments", "Mo'adê-Tziltzul".

The last of the 150 Biblical Psalm calls for this Sounding

[See my expanded version of this song]

The Biblical instrument "tziltzâl" - interpreted as "cymbal"-
provided the modern Hebrew term "tziltzul",
which is the "sound" of a bell at the door
or the bell which announces the lessons and breaks at school,
or a phone-call, even though nowadays the sound of a cell-phone is not a "tziltzul" but a line of music
or any sound, which is meant to alert or to alarm people.


Today I know, that "God" is not a kind of king
who needs praise and the stroking of his ego.
The "Hallelu-Yah" therefore is interpreted by me as:
"Become aware NOW, allow yourself to feel NOW"

Genine and Ruth

I'll set the alarm clock of my mobile phone
at 7:00,
then at 11:00,
then at 15:00
then at 19:00
and at last at 23:00.

[A concise suggestion of description or instruction see in:
"Mo'adee-Shofar" or "Sound-Appointments"]

I'll stop every activity, if possible, and sound for at least one minute.
If I couldn't make it at the full hour, I'll catch up with it,when I can.

Yanina and Ruth and Adina

Imagine, if 57 people in Europe, Israel and the USA would do that,
even if their hours will be different from time-zone to time-zone,
how would it benefit each of us,
how would it benefit us as a family?
how would it benefit the earth?
How would it benefit humankind?

And if not 57, then a minyan of ten?
Wouldn't it manifest Noah's Shore
within the shortest of time?

You may "forget" 4 times a day, or 6 times a week,
or feel "uncomfortable" in the company of people,
then rejoice in joining me
even once a day or a week.
I shall feel your sounding.
Your sound will make yourself and the world sound.

Zeev: "Why is it that I was the only man from Israel on the retreat?" [except for Rabbi Ohad, who had been invited to fulfil the task of a representative of the Jewish religion] The answer is clear, isn't it? Because women are allowed to feel a bit more. To cry and laugh a bit more.

Sounding may start with a hummm or a buzzzzz,
and continue with a moaning "oi-oi-oi" or "ei-ei-ei"
or a conventional "OOOOOMMMMM",
and flow with the sounding of vocals a-e-i-ae-oe-o-u,
on one tone, or two or up and down,
gently or wild,
jubilating, when you are happy,
sobbing, when you are griefed,
screaming, when you are frustrated,
howling, when you are angry,
whining, when you feel down for no reason,
clacking with your teeth when you are afraid.
Let it be pure sound, not structured by words or rhythm.

Racheli,
Evelyn,
and Hagit, the Israeli coordinator

One day you may even train in singing overtones,
It is like the spinning, the dervish dance, the "sama'a",
which I did on that KLeizmer evening in the ghetto of Krakov:
It causes body and soul to feel whole.